Gardaí in Carlow and Kilkenny are renewing appeals for road safety after new figures revealed an 8% rise in road deaths nationally in 2025.
Five people died in Carlow during the year while four people died in Kilkenny.
The increase includes higher fatalities among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Figures released show an increase of 14 fatalities compared to the year before.
Locally, garda figures says three people died in the roads in Kilkenny this year while two people died in Carlow.
Sam Waide, Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) says the number of cyclists killed last year was the highest since 2017, while the number of motorcyclist fatalities was the highest recorded since 2007.
Here’s the full run down from the Gardai.
An Garda Síochána has recorded 179 fatal collisions in 2025, which have resulted in 190 fatalities on Irish public roads and in public places.
A report published by the RSA today analyses fatalities that occurred on public roads*. This report shows that a total of 185 people lost their lives in 174 fatal collisions on public roads during 2025, compared to 171 deaths in 157 fatal collisions in 2024. This represents an increase of 14 fatalities, or an 8% rise, year on year.
Of these 185 fatalities in 2025:
· – 76 were drivers (41%)
· – 41 were pedestrians (22%)
· – 30 were motorcyclists (16%)
· – 21 were passengers (11%)
· – 14 were pedal cyclists (8%)
· – 3 were e-scooter users (2%)
The report highlights a rise in deaths among drivers, as well as among vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, pedal cyclists and motorcyclists. The number of cyclists killed in 2025 was the highest since 2017, while the number of motorcyclist fatalities was the highest recorded since 2007.
In contrast, fatalities among passengers decreased compared to 2024. Overall, approximately three quarters of those killed were male, with one quarter female.
February (11 fatalities) and June (11 fatalities) recorded the lowest number of deaths in 2025, while November and December saw the highest number of fatalities, with 21 fatalities and 24 fatalities respectively.
The average number of deaths per month in 2025 was 15, compared with 14 per month in 2024.
